Nickname:
Founded by the Disney Corporation, and named Mighty Ducks after a successful
hockey-themed kids movie, with the same title.

Coach:
Randy Carlyle 2016/17-
Stadium:
Honda Center 1993/94-

Historical Moments:

1993/94: Once thought a failed experiment, Southern California benefiting from the greater
fan interest after Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, landed a
second team as the Disney Corporation was given expansion team to play near Disneyland
in Anaheim. However, most hockey purists cringed when they found out they
would be named after a hockey-themed kid's movie entitled Mighty Ducks. The
NHL Mighty Ducks first took the ice on October 8th losing to the Detroit Red Wings
7-2 before a sold out crowd at the Arrowhead Pond. The expansion Ducks would
have a surprisingly strong first season as won an expansion record 19 games
on the road while posting a record of 33-46-5. Along the way the Mighty Ducks would
sweep two games against the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers,
proving how competitive the team could be.
1994/95: After a solid first season Mighty Ducks fans had to wait longer then expected for
their second season as a four month lockout put the season in limbo. When the
season finally started in January, Paul Karyia the Mighty Ducks very first draft
pick out of the University of Maine was ready for his NHL debut. Karyia instantly
became the Ducks best player leading the team in scoring with 18 goals, and
21 assists. However, the Mighty Ducks would struggle in their second season finishing
in last place with a record of 16-27-5.
1995/96: Paul Karyia continued to establish himself as a star as he finished seventh in the
NHL in scoring with 50 goals and 58 assists. With the Mighty Ducks in contention
for a playoff spot, management decided to add another goal scoring superstar
as they acquired Teemu Selanne from the Winnipeg Jets for Oleg Tverdovsky and
Chad Kilger. Selanne would post 36 points in just 28 games with the Ducks. However
it would not be enough to earn a playoff berth as the Mighty Ducks missed
the playoffs by a tiebreaker to the Jets with a record of 35-39-8.
1996/97: In his first full season with the Mighty Duck Teemu Selanne led the team in scoring
with 51 goals and 58 assists, as Paul Karyia added 99 points of his own despite
missing 13 games to lead the Mighty Ducks to their first ever winning season,
while finishing in 2nd place with a record of 36-33-13. In the first ever playoff
game the Mighty Ducks beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 at the Pond. The Ducks
would also win Game 2 at home to take a 2-0 series lead. However, the Ducks would
struggle in Phoenix as the Coyotes won both games to tie the series. Not even
returning to the Pond could help the Ducks in Game 5 as they fell behind in
the series with a 5-2 loss. However, facing elimination in overtime Paul Karyia
forced a 7th game with a dramatic goal in overtime. Back at the Pond in Game 7
the Ducks blanked the Coyotes 3-0 to advance to the second round. However, in
the second round it would be the Mighty Ducks who were blanked as they were swept
in four straight by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wins. However,
three of the four losses were in overtime giving Ducks fans reason to be proud.
1997/98: The Mighty Ducks would get off to a shaky start as they had trouble signing Paul
Karyia to a contract, forcing their star player to hold out. The Karyia hold out
had to be especially disappointing for fans in Tokyo, who had hoped to see the
star with Asian ancestry as the Mighty Ducks faced the Vancouver Canucks in the
first two games ever played in Japan at the start of the season. The Ducks and
Canucks would split two games, but without Karyia the Ducks would struggle posting
a 12-18-6 record before they were able to sign him on December 22nd. However,
Karyia would play just 22 games as he suffered an injury that ended all hopes
of a return to the playoffs as the Ducks finished in sixth place with a disappointing
record of 26-43-13.
1998/99: Paul Karyia would bounce back from a year of holdouts and injuries to score 101 points
as he finished second on the Ducks in scoring to Teemu Selanne, who had 107
points to lead the Mighty Ducks to their second playoff berth in three years
with a record of 35-34-13 good enough for third place in the Pacific Division.
However, in the playoffs the Mighty Ducks would be mauled by the Detroit Red Wings
in four straight games, as they were out scored 17-6.
1999/00: Despite solid seasons from Paul Karyia and Teemu Selanne the Mighty Ducks would struggle
all season playing mediocre hockey as they finished in last place with
a disappointing record of 34-36-12-3.
2000/01: The Mighty Ducks continued to wallow in last place as management decided to retool
trading away Teemu Selanne who was in the middle of a solid season to the San
Jose Sharks for Steve Shields, wing Jeff Friesen and draft picks. After the trade
the Ducks continued to struggle as Paul Karyia missed 16 games due to injury,
finishing with a 25-41-11-5 record which was worse then the expansion Columbus
Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild.2001/02: The Mighty Ducks continued to struggle as they finished in last place for the third
consecutive season with a record of 29-42-8-3. However, quietly the Ducks had
a strong second half as Jean-Sebastien Giguere established himself as the starting
goalie with a solid 2.13 GAA, while posting a 20-25-6 record. After the strong
finish General Manager Bryan Murray decided to be aggressive in the off-season
as they signed veteran free agent Adam Oates and acquired Petr Sykora from
the New Jersey Devils for Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky.
2002/03: With the new additions came a new coach, as Mike Babcock took over behind the bench.
The new acquisitions worked as the Mighty Ducks played solid hockey getting
off to a 15-10-6-3 start. However, the Ducks felt they still needed to improve
so they acquire Sandis Ozolinsh at the All-Star Break from the Florida Panthers.
The Ozolinsh trade would vastly improve the Ducks on defense, as they were the
strongest team in NHL during the second half. Still the Ducks felt they needed
to make more moves and on trade deadline they acquired Steve Thomas and Rob
Niedermayer for a playoff run, as the team completed it's best season in franchise
history by finishing in second place with a 40-27-9-6 record. Despite their
solid record the Mighty Ducks entered the playoffs as heavy underdogs as the 7th
seed facing the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. In Game 1
in Detroit the Red Wings peppered Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere with 64 shots,
however just 1 got by as the Mighty Ducks stole Game 1 in triple overtime
on a goal by Paul Kariya. In Game 2 Giguere was solid again, stopping 34 shots
as the Ducks overcame a 2-1 deficit entering the 3rd period to grab a 2-0 series
lead. As the series shifted to the Pond it was more of the same as Giguere stopped
36 shots as the Ducks held on to win Game 3 by a score of 2-1. With a stunning
3-0 lead the Mighty Ducks completed the sweep with a 3-2 win in overtime
on a goal by Steve Rucchin as Giguere stopped another 32 shots. For the entire
series Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped an incredible 165 out of 171 shots. After
stunning the Detroit Red Wings the Mighty Ducks were matched up against the top
seeded Dallas Stars. Once again the Ducks were a heavy underdog as they jumped
out to a 3-1 lead in Game 1. However, the Stars would rally and force overtime,
there Jean-Sebastien Giguere rose to the occasion again stopping a total of
60 shots as the game stayed tied through four overtimes. Finally 48 seconds into
the fifth overtime the Ducks would win the game on a dramatic goal be Petr Sykora.
Game 2 would also go to overtime as the Ducks took a 2-0 series lead with
an overtime goal by Mike LeClerc. However, the Ducks let a golden opportunity
for a 3-0 slip away as they dropped Game 3 at home. Game 4 would be a scoreless
battle as Giguere stopped 28 shots before Mike LeClerc scored the games only
goal with 1:47 left in regulation. After losing Game 5 in Dallas the Mighty Ducks
completed the upset at the Pond as Sandis Ozolinsh scored with 1:06 left to
give the Ducks a 4-3 win in Game 6. In a Western Conference Final of Cinderella
Teams the Mighty Ducks and Minnesota Wild battled into double overtime without
either team scoring a goal. Once again overtime would be the Ducks domain as Petr
Sykora scored the game winner 8:06 in to second Overtime. In Game 2 Jean-Sebastien
Giguere would continue to confound the Wild stopping 24 shots for a 2-0
win in Game 2. In Game 3 the Pond was in a frenzy as Giguere recorded his third
straight shutout as the Ducks grabbed a 3-0 lead with a 4-0 win. Giguere would
finally allow a goal in Game 4 but the Ducks completed the sweep with a 2-1 win
to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
2003 Stanley Cup Finals: Between the last game of the Western Conference Finals and the first game of the
Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils the Mighty Ducks had a 10-day
layoff. While the Devils were battling through a tough Eastern Finals the Ducks
were basking in the sun of Hollywood as the became the darlings of Hollywood with
the elimination of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Goalie Jean-Sebastien
Giguere who went form unknown to superstar in the playoffs even made an
appearance on Jay Leno as he already had the Conn Smythe award for Playoff MVP
in his pocket. However, the 10-day layoff appeared to negatively affect the Ducks
as they lost each of the first two games 3-0, while being held to just 31 shots.
Making matters worse former Duck Jeff Friesen scored three of the Devils
six goals seemingly mocking the Ducks each time he scored. Desperately needing
to turn things around the Ducks finally got on the board in the second period of
Game 3 at the Pond as Marc Choinard tipped in a pass from Sandis Ozolinsh. Ozolinsh
would add a goal of his own beating Devils goalie Martin Brodeur who fumbled
his stick from center ice. However, the Ducks would need overtime where Jean-Sebastien
Giguere set a single playoff record for not allowing a goal in overtime,
before Ruslan Salei scored of an Adam Oates face-off win to get the Ducks
back into the series. Game would also go to overtime, before Steve Thomas scored
the game's lone goal off a rebound 39 second into Overtime to give even the
series. Back in New Jersey for Game 5 the Ducks carried the momentum as Adam Oates
won another face-off to set Petr Sykora for a goal jus 42 second into the
game. However, Jean-Sebastien Giguere had his worst game of the entire playoffs
as the Devils took a 3-2 series lead win a 6-3 win. Back in Anaheim for Game 6
the Duck exploded for three first period goals. The Devils would cut the lead
to 3-1 in 2nd period when Paul Karyia seemed to be knocked out by a crushing hit
from Scott Stevens. However Karyia would return a few minutes later and salted
the game away with his first goal of the finals as the Ducks forced a seventh
game with a 5-2 win. Game 7 appeared to be more like the first two games, as both
teams didn't score a goal in the first period. The Devils would final break
the deadlock in the second period as Mike Rupp and Jeff Friesen scored to give
the Devils a 2-0 lead. In Game 3 the Devils just played keep away as the Ducks
never got a real good scoring opportunity before Friesen again haunted his old
team by scoring with 3:44 left to give the Devils a 3-0 win as the home team won
all seven games of the finals. Despite losing Game 7 in the finals Goalie Jean-Sebastien
Giguere would still receive the Conn Smythe. 2003/04: Coming off their loss in the Stanley Cup Finals the Mighty Ducks were stunned by
the departure of longtime Captain Paul Kariya who signed a Free Agent deal with
former teammate Teemu Selanne with the Colorado Avalanche. To replace Kariya the
Ducks signed another marquee NHL star in Sergei Fedorov of the Detroit Red Wings.
However, Fedorov struggled early as the Ducks got off to a slow start losing
their first five games. The Ducks would play better as October close, but could
not get their head above water as they only had a winning record for two days
at the end of November. After ending December with a 13-15-4-5 record the Ducks
struggle got worse in January as they won just three of 16 games. The Mighty
Ducks would not be able to recover as they ended up missing the playoffs and
finishing in fourth place with a disappointing record of 29-35-10-8. Among the
Ducks who disappointed was Conn Smythe goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere who posted
a 17-31-6 record with a 2.62 GAA.2004/05: Season Cancelled Due to Lock Out2005/06: Coming out of the Lock Out the Mighty Ducks looked to rebound and get back into the
playoffs after a disappointing 2003/04 season. Helping to restore optimism was
the return of Teem Selanne and the signing of defensive stalwart Scott Neidermayer
who was immediately named team Captain. However, the Ducks got off to a
slow start as Sergei Fedorov continued to disappoint before being dealt to the
Columbus Blue Jackets Tyler Wright and Francois Beauchemin. The deal seemed to
revive the Ducks as if it were addition by subtraction as they climbed back to
.500 at the end of November. After a mediocre December the Ducks began to make
their move in January as they only lost twice in regulation to get back into playoff
contention at 24-17-10. Following the Olympic break the Ducks got even stronger
winning 10 of 13, as they seemed to be gettting better each passing month,
as they qualified for the playoffs with a record 43-27-12 setting a new franchise
record for points at 98, as Teemu Selanne who had a team high 40 goals was
awarded with the Masterton Trophy for Dedication to the sport of hockey. In the
playoff the Ducks continued to rotate goalies with Jean-Sebastien Giguere and
Ilya Bryzgalov sharing time through the first five games of a first round match
up against the heavily favored Calgary Flames. The Ducks managed to hang tough
but faced elimination down 3-2 heading into a sixth game at the Pond. With Bryzgalov
getting the start the Ducks were able to force a seventh game with a solid
defensive effort to win 2-1. Bryzgalov would remain the starter in Game 7
in Calgary as the Ducks defense again extinguished the Flames allowing just 22
shots as the Ducks completed the upset with a 3-0 win. Coach Randy Carlyle continued
to use Bryzgalov in the second round against the Colorado Avalanche as the
Ducks jumped out to 2-0 series lead with two home shutouts. The Avalanche would
finally solve Ilya Bryzgalov in Game 3, but the Ducks would win in overtime
4-3, as Joffrey Lopul scored all four goals for the Anaheim, who would go on to
complete the sweep with a 4-1 win in Game 4 to send the Mighty Ducks to the Conference
Finals for the second time in franchise history. Sweeping the Avalanche
had one negative side effect in that the Ducks were off for eight days before
they faced the Edmonton Oilers at home in Game 1. The Ducks would look rusty as
the Oilers took the first two games in Anaheim with 3-1 scores. In Game 3 in
Edmonton the Ducks defense would unravel as the Oilers 3 goals in the first five
minutes of the 3rd period to take a 4-0 lead. The Ducks would rally would Oilers
would hold off the charge for a 5-4 win to take a 3-0 series lead. With J.S.
Giguere back in the nets for Game 4 the Ducks avoided the sweep with a 6-3 win.
However the hole would prove too deep to climb out as the Ducks lost the series
in five games. Following the season the Ducks would raid the very same Oilers
for talent landing Chris Pronger in a blockbuster trade as they got new uniforms,
and dropped the Mighty from their name.
2006/07: With the addition of Chris Pronger expectations in Anaheim went through the roof,
as the newly redubed Anaheim Ducks, were the overwhelming favorites at the start
of the season to win the Stanley Cup. With a new black and orange color scheme
the Ducks did not disappoint getting off to a fast start as they earned at least
one point in each of their first 16 games starting 12-0-4. Through the first
three months the Ducks were cruising in first place with a 27-4-6 record on
December 20th. However, as the New Year began the Ducks hit a rough stretch, dealing
with injuries to key players like Captain Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger.
However, thanks to their strong start the Ducks emerged from the injuries
still holding on to first place as they finished the season strong posting a franchise
best record of 48-20-14, as they won their first ever division championship.
Success in the regular season was nice, but unfulfilling for the Ducks as
they entered the playoffs with a Stanley Cup of bust mindset. In the first round
the Ducks faced off with the Minnesota Wild, and found themselves in a tough
battle in Game 1, as they were unable to solve Goalie Niklas Backstrom for most
of the game, as he stopped 32 shots. However, with a little over five minutes
remaining Dustin Penner gave the Ducks a solid 2-1 win. The Ducks would go on
to win the first three games of the series by one goal as the seventh seed Wild
gave the Ducks all they could handle. After Ilya Bryzgalov struggled in a 4-1
loss in Game 4, Jean-Sebastien Giguere took over and led the way to a 4-1 win
as the Ducks took the opening round series in five games. In the second round the
Ducks were matched up against the Vancouver Canucks who were led by Goalie Roberto
Luongo who was more then capable of stealing the series from the heavily
favored Ducks. The Ducks would deliver a strong statement in Game 1 beating the
Canucks 5-1 led by a hat trick by Andy McDonald. However, Game 2 would demonstrate
just how dangerous Luongo could be as he stopped 43 shots from the Ducks,
who were stunned in double overtime 2-1 on a goal by Jeff Cowan. Game 3 in Vancouver
would be another battle as the game was tied 2-2 in the third period, before
the Ducks took the lead for good on a power play goal by Corey Perry. The
Ducks and Canucks would go to overtime again in Game 4, but this time things would
be different as Travis Moen gave the Ducks a 3-1 series lead by netting the
game winner at 2:07. Back in Anaheim for Game 5 the Ducks and Canucks would go
deep into overtime again, as the Niedermayer brothers teamed up to get the Ducks
back into the Conference Finals, as Scott Niedermayer scored the game winner
at 4:30 of double Overtime after a big hit from Rob Niedermayer.
2006/07: Facing the top seeded Detroit Red Wings in the Conference Finals the Ducks found
themselves in an early hole losing Game 1 on the road 2-1. Facing the prospects
of falling behind 0-2, the Niedermayers again teamed up in overtime as Rob assisted
on Scott's game winner at 14:17 as the Ducks evened the series with a 4-3
win. As the series shifted to Anaheim the Ducks delivered their worst performance
of the playoffs in Game 3 losing 5-0. In Game 4 the Ducks would get off to
a better start leading 3-1 after the first period. However, the Wings would score
twice as the game was tied 3-3 entering a critical third period. Desperately
needing a spark the Ryan Getzlaf gave the Ducks a lead on a power play goal early
in the final period, as they would go on to even the series with a 5-3 win.
Game 5 in Detroit would prove to be the swing game of the series, as the Red Wings
outplayed the Ducks, but only had a 1-0 lead in 3rd Period thanks to the play
of Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who stopped 33 of 34 shots. Facing the prospect
of falling behind 3-2 in the series the Ducks pulled Giguere in the final
minute and finally broke through tying the game with 47.3 seconds left on a goal
by Scott Niedermayer, as the Ducks benefited from having a 6-4 skater advantage
with a power play. In overtime the Ducks would turn things around out shooting
the stunned Wings 8-3, as Teemu Selanne scored the game winner unassisted
after a turnover by Andreas Lilja to give the Ducks a 3-2 series lead. In Game
6 with a chance to reach the finals the Ducks got off to a fast start taking a
3-0 lead into the 3rd Period. However, the Wings desperately trying to fight would
score three times in the third period as the Ducks needed several big saves
from Giguere to hold on to a 4-3 win. In the Stanley Cup Finals the Ducks would
face the Ottawa Senators. In Game 1 at the Honda Center the Ducks fell behind
early as Mike Fisher scored just 98 seconds into the game. Trailing 2-1 entering
the 3rd Period the Ducks would tie the game on a goal by Ryan Getzlaf, before
taking the lead with three minutes left on a goal by Travis Moen, who was assisted
by the Niedermayer brothers. Game 2 would be a battle of goalies as Jean-Sebastien
Giguere and Ray Emery both put up brick walls as they game was scoreless
until late in the 3rd Period when Sammy Pahlsson gave the Ducks a 1-0 win with
5:44 left. After dropping Game 3 in Ottawa 5-3, the Ducks took a 3-1 stranglehold
of the series thanks in part to two goals in one minute by Andy McDonald
in the second period as the Ducks won the game 3-2 on a 3rd Period goal by Dustin
Penner. Expecting a party in Game 5, Honda Center was rocking from beginning
to end as the Ducks jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead, and were never challenged
skating away with a 6-2 win to give California it's first sip from the
Stanley Cup, as celebrities that would usually be found at a Lakers game filled
the Pond. Captain Scott Neidermayer who helped break Anaheim's heart four years
earlier with the New Jersey Devils would win the Conn Smythe. However, his most
satisfying moment had to be handing the Cup to his younger brother Rob who was
winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career.
2007/08: Coming off their Stanley Cup Championship the Ducks began the season shorthanded
as Teemu Selanne and Scott Neidermayer were pondering retirement and did not join
the team for the first few months. When the season began the Ducks were in London
facing the Los Angeles Kings, in the first regular season games in Europe.
The Ducks would split the games, as they were also without Goalie Jean-Sebastien,
as the Ducks got off to a slow start, posting a 4-7-2 record in October. The
Ducks would show signs of improvement in November, but continued to thread water,
until Scott Niedermayer returned on December 14th. Within a few games the
Ducks fortunes began to turn as they put together a four game winning streak.
In January they would top themselves, winning six in a row, as they took eight
of their first nine games in the New Year. Teemu Selanne would return at the end
of January as the Ducks continued to take on their championship look in February
where they posted a 10-2-1 record. The Ducks would go on to make the playoffs
with a solid record of 47-27-8. In the playoffs the Ducks would face the Dallas
Stars in the first round. However, the Ducks struggled badly in Game 1, losing
at home 4-0. They would not play much better in Game 2, losing that one 5-2.
As the series shifted to Dallas, the Ducks finally broke through, winning 4-2,
as Chris Pronger scored two goals, with an assist. However, a 3-1 loss in Game
4 had them facing elimination when they returned to the Honda Center in Game
5. The Ducks would finally win a home game, winning 5-2, but it was too little
too late as the Stars won Game 6 in Dallas 4-2 to end the Ducks championship reign.2008/09: The Ducks stumble out of the gate dropping their first four games, on the way, and
five of their first six games. However, thanks to four straight wins on an Eastern
Road trip the Ducks were able to get back on track by the end of October.
In November the Ducks played solid hockey, winning eight games. However, as Goalie
Jean-Sebastien Giguere continued to struggle, back up Jonas Hiller saw more
time in the nets and made the most of it, winning seven straight starts. Hiller
and Giguere would continue to split the duties in December, as the Ducks scuffled
and entered the New Year with a 19-15-4 record. The Ducks mediocre play would
continue into March, as they found themselves in danger of missing the playoffs.
Hoping to shake things up the Ducks dealt away Chris Kunitz, Samuel Pahlsson
and Travis Moen at the trade deadline. Following the deals the Ducks began
to find their game, as Jonas Hiller was chosen as the team's number one goalie.
Thanks to an 11-3-1 record in the last 15 games the Ducks would slip into the
playoffs with the eighth seed as they finished the season with a record of 42-33-7.
Facing the San Jose Sharks who won the President's Trophy for posting the
best record in the NHL, the Ducks got off to a quick start in the playoffs, winning
2-0 in Game 1 on the road, as Jonas Hiller stopped all 35 shots. Hiller was
outstanding again in Game 2, stopping 42 of 44 shots as the Ducks won again
3-2 to take a 2-0 lead down to Anaheim. However, in Game 3 the Ducks suffered a
letdown, losing 4-3. Hiller and the Ducks would recover to win Game 4, as the
Ducks Goalie continued to confound the Ducks stopping all 31 shots in a 4-0 shutout
that gave the eighth seeded Ducks a commanding 3-1 series lead. With a chance
to close the series in five games, the Ducks suffered a setback as the Sharks
won 3-2 in overtime. However, it was just a minor bump in the road, as the Ducks
completed the upset with a 4-1 win in Game 6, as Hiller stopped 36 of 37 shots
in Game 6. Facing the Detroit Red Wings in the second round, Hiller was stellar
again in Game 2, stopping 59 shots, as the Ducks won in triple overtime 4-3
to earn a split of the first two games in Detroit. As the series shifted to
Anaheim, Jonas Hiller continued to steal games; stopping 45 of 46 shots, as the
Ducks took a 2-1 series lead win a 2-1 win in Game 3. The defending champion Wings
would rebound to win the next two games to put the Ducks on the brink in Game
6. After struggling in Game 4 and Game 5 Jonas Hiller had another outstanding
night stopping 38 of 39 shots as the Ducks won 2-1 to send the series to a seventh
game. In Game 7 the Ducks fell behind early 3-1, but battled back tying
the game 3-3 on a goal by Bobby Ryan midway through the 3rd Period. However, it
was not meant to be as Daniel Cleary beat Jonas Hiller with three minutes remaining
to give the Red Wings a 4-3 win to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Following the season the Ducks began to payroll and traded Chris Pronger to
the Philadelphia Flyers for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa and three draft picks. 2009/10: After their strong playoff showing the Ducks looked to carry the momentum. However,
early struggles would tell the story as the season become one of transition
in Anaheim. Among the Ducks who played poorly was Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere,
who did not earn a win until November 23rd. With Guguere struggling, Jonas Hiller
saw more playing time and eventually wrestled the starting job away. With
Hiller starting every game the Ducks began to turn their season around in January,
as they climbed above .500 by winning seven out of eight games in January.
The Ducks would go on to trade Giguere to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 31st
for Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala. With Hiller continuing to play well the Ducks
entered the Olympic Break with a record of 30-25-7. However, after the break
the Ducks slumped with five straight losses as they were one of the busiest teams
at the trade deadline. Despite playing well down the stretch the Ducks would
not be able to get back into the playoffs as they missed the postseason for
the first time since 2004 with a record of 39-32-11. Following the season Defenseman
and Captain Scott Niedermayer would announce his retirement.2010/11: After missing the playoffs, the Ducks named Ryan Getzlaf as the team's new captain,
replacing the retired Scott Niedermayer. The Ducks season would start slowly
as they lost to the Detroit Red Wings 4-0. After losing their first three games
on the road, the Ducks earned their first win of the year, beating the Vancouver
Canucks 4-3. The Ducks would struggle most of October, posting a record of
4-7-1. The Ducks would start November, winning their first six games However; they
would drop their next six games, as they continued to flounder in the Pacific.
The Ducks would survive a tough December, which featured a seven game road
trip, to enter the New Year with a record of 20-17-4, which had them in playoff
contention. January would be a strong month for the Ducks, as they won 8 of their
11 games, many of which were decided by one goal. Following the All-Star Break,
the Ducks were dealt some bad news as Goalie Jonas Hiller returned from the
All-Star Game in Carolina, feeling light headed. With Hiller sidelined, the Ducks
acquired Ray Emery and Dan Ellis in separate deals. The Ducks were the busiest
team in the NHL during February, making eight trades. During February, the
Ducks only managed a record of 5-5-1. However, in March they would make a strong
run at the playoffs, posting an 11-3-0 record. The Ducks would go on to finish
the season, with a record of 40-27-5, as Corey Perry led the NHL in goals with
50. Perry would also win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP. In the playoffs the
Ducks would get off on the wrong foot, losing the opener 4-1 at home. The Ducks
would rebound to win the next game 5-3 as Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists.
However, they would lose Bobby Ryan for two games after he stomped on Defenseman
Jonathon Blum's foot. Without Ryan, the Ducks would suffer a 4-3 loss
in Game 3 at Nashville. However, they would rebound once again to win 6-3 in Game
4, as Corey Perry's shorthanded goal sparked a three goal rally in the third
period. With Jason Blake scoring two goals, the Ducks appeared to be heading
for a big win in Game 5. However, Shea Weber tied the game with 35.3 seconds left
to force overtime. In overtime the Predators would win 4-3 on a goal by Jerred
Smithson. The Predators would go on to win the series in six games, eliminating
the Ducks with a 4-2 win in Game 6.
2011/12: The Ducks got some good news before the season started as Teemu Selanne announced
he would return for an 18th season, as they acquired Andrew Cogliano in a quiet
off-season. The Ducks would suffer a personal loss as training camp began, as
longtime fan favorite Ruslan Salei was among the players killed whenLokomotiv
Yaroslavl his KHL team's plane crashed. The Ducks would begin the season in Europe,
losing a game to the Buffalo Sabres in Helsinki, Finland, while beating the
New York Rangers 2-1 in a shootout in Stockholm, Sweden. In their home opener,
Goalie Jonas Hiller was solid, backstopping a 1-0 win over the San Jose Sharks.
However, as October came to an end the Ducks went into a prolonged slump, in
which they posted a 6-20-6 record over a 32 game stretch. During one ten game
stretch, the Ducks won just ten games, leading to the dismissal of Coach Randy
Carlyle on November 30th, despite signing a three year contract extension during
the off-season. The Ducks would hire Bruce Boudreau who had just been fired by
the Washington Capitals days earlier to replace Carlyle, the all-time winnigest
coach in Ducks history. After losing on January 4th in the first 2012 game the
Ducks held an awful record of 10-22-6. The rest of the month would be good for
the Ducks, as they won nine of their next 11 games. The Ducks continued to play
well in February, winning eight games, but any hopes of making the postseason
was long since gone as their two month slump left them to big of hole to climb
out of. The Ducks would go on to finish the season in last place with a record
of 34-36-12. With 66 points the ageless Teemu Selanne led the Ducks in scoring,
as Corey Perry led the team in goals with 37. Meanwhile Bobby Ryan could not
duplicate his MVP season as he had a somewhat disappointing season, with 31 goals
and 26 assists. Meanwhile, after dealing with injuries Goalie Jonas Hiller
was healthy all season, missing just nine starts.
2012/13: Following a disappointing season, in which a bad start left them outside of the playoffs,
the Anaheim Ducks hoped they could take advantage of the shortened 48
game season and again become one of the top teams in the Western Conference. The
Ducks opened the season strong, winning their first two games on the road in
Western Canada. However, they would suffer a disappointing 5-0 loss to the Vancouver
Canucks at the Honda Center in the first home game of the season. The loss
would be a mere bump in the road as they won their next 13 games at the Honda
Center, setting a new franchise record for longest home winning streak. Goalie
Jonas Hiller, who had struggled with vertigo, had a nice bounce back season as
he shared the duties with Viktor Fasth as both had nearly equal stats, winning
15 games with GAA averages of 2.36 and 2.18 and save percentages of .913 and .921.
The 13 game home winning streak had vaulted the Ducks to the top of the Pacific
Division and near the top of the Western Conference. Despite a mediocre 8-9-2
record over the final five weeks the Ducks managed to win the division title
with a record of 30-12-6 as the secured the second seed in the West. Ryan Getzlaf
was another Duck who improved vastly over the previous season, scoring 15
goals and a team high 49 points, Corey Perry shared the goal scoring lead with
Getzlaf with 15, while the ageless Teemu Selanne continued to dazzle with 12 goals
and 12 assists.
2013 Playoffs: In the playoffs the Ducks would face the Detroit Red Wings, taking the opener at
the Honda Center 3-1, as Teemu Selanne broke a 1-1 tie with a power play goal early
in the third period. In Game 2 the Ducks would rally to tie the game, with
three third period goals, but could not stop the Red Wings in overtime as Gustav
yquist won the game for the Wings 5-4, with a power play goal in overtime. After
a shaky performance in Game 2, Jonas Hiller was sharp in Game 3, stopping
all 23 shots as the Ducks won 4-0 in Detroit. However, the Red Wings would answer
back with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 3, as Hiller had a solid effort stopping
46 shots before Damian Brunner scored the game winner. After losing twice in
overtime, the Ducks got their own sudden death magic in Game 5, as Nick Bonino
scored 1:54 into overtime to give the Ducks a 3-2 to take a 3-2 series lead. However,
with a chance to close the series in Detroit, the Ducks again lost in OT,
as Hernrik Zetterberg scored just 64 seconds into the extra period to give the
Red Wings a 3-2 win that forced a seventh game back in Anaheim. In Game 7 the
Ducks found themselves in an early hole as Justin Abdelkader's shorthanded goal
in the first period gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead. The Wings would add
another goal in the second period as time quickly began to run out on the Ducks.
Francois Beauchemin's scored a power play goal with 3:17 left, but the Ducks
would not get any closer as the Red Wings held on to win the game 3-2 to eliminate
the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs.

2013/14: After their disappointing first round playoff exit, the Anaheim Ducks looked to bounce
back as Teemu Sleanne entered his final season. Despite suffering an ugly
6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in the season opener, the Ducks got off to
an excellent start, winning seven in a row, including a 6-0 win over the New York
Rangers in their home opener. The Ducks would post a perfect 5-0 record at Honda
Center in October, finishing the first month of the season with an overall
record of 10-3-1. The Ducks continued their strong play into November, as they
started the month with five straight wins. However, a winless Eastern Conference
road trip saw them face their first slump of the season. The Ducks would get
back on track in their second Eastern trip, as they swept through the New York
Metropolitan area, while on a ten game winning streak in December. After
ending 2013 with a record of 29-8-5, the Ducks continued to roll in January with
eight straight wins. The Ducks would win 11 games in January, equaling their
output from December. The biggest highlight of the month came when the Ducks took
their game outdoors, and blanked the Los Angeles Kings 3-0, with Jonas Hiller
making 36 saves. The Ducks were especially strong at Honda Center, getting
at least one point in their first 22 home games, posting a record of 20-0-2.
The Ducks went into the Olympic Break on top of the NHL standings at 41-14-5.
While they had trouble reestablishing their momentum following Sochi, they managed
to win their second straight division title with a record of 54-20-8, which
was the second best overall record in the NHL and tops in the West. The Ducks
got big seasons from Ryan Getzlaf who led the team in scoring with 87 points,
while Corey Perry had a team high 43 goals. The Ducks seemed to get strong goaltending
from every direction, as Jonas Hiller shared the net with rookie Frederik
Andersen who was near flawless posting a record of 20-5-0, with a 2.29 GAA
and .923 save percentage. Meanwhile, Teemu Selanne who was celebrated all season
scored nine goals and finished his career with 684 NHL goals.
2014 Playoffs: In the playoffs the Ducks would start off against the Dallas Stars, and quickly jumped
out to a 4-0 lead. However, the Stars showed early that they would not go
down without a fight giving the Ducks all they could handle in the second half
of the game, as they held on to a 4-3 win Frederik Andersen was able to
earn the win with 32 saves. The Stars continued to control the ice in Game
2, but the Ducks again held for a 3-2 win, with Andersen stopping 34 of 36 shots,
as Andrew Cogliano's shorthanded goal in the third period proved to be the
game winner. The Stars would break through in Game 3, as Kari Lethtonen frustrated
them all game, stopping 37 shots in a 3-0 win. The Ducks jumped out to a 2-0
lead in Game 4, but struggled over the last two periods as the Stars evened
the series with a 4-2 win. Back home in Game 5 the Ducks came alive, with six different
scores finding the back of the net in a 6-2 win. Looking to close out
the series the Ducks found themselves down 3-1 after one period as Jonas Hiller
came on in relief. Still trailing 4-2 in the late stages of the third period,
the Ducks got back in the game with a goal from Nick Bonino with 2:10 remaining.
They would then get the equalizer with Devante Smith-Pelly scoring with 24 seconds
left to force overtime. The Ducks would go on to win the game in overtime
5-4 on a score from Bonino at 2:47. In the Pacific Division Finals the Ducks would
face the Los Angeles Kings for the first time in the postseason. The freeway
battle did not start well for the Ducks, as they dropped their first two games
at home 3-2 in overtime in Game 1 and 3-1 in Game 2. As the series shifted to
Los Angeles the Ducks turned the tables, winning the next two games at Staples
Center 3-2 and 2-0, as John Gibson started Game 4 and earned a shutout, stopping
28 shots in his first career playoff start. The Ducks would take control
of the series with 4-3 win in Game 5 at Honda Center as Gibson was solid again
stopping 39 of 42 shots, as Devante Smith-Pelly's two goals in the second period
gave Anaheim the lead. The Kings would battle back with a 2-1 win in Game
6, and would win the series in seven games with a 6-2 win at Honda Center in Game
7. The Kings would go on to win their second Stanley Cup in three years. With
the Stadium Series in Dodger Stadium, the Kings Cups and the Ducks being among
the top team in the NHL, hockey in Southern California had never been hotter.
2014/15: Despite the retirement of Teemu Slanne the Anaheim Ducks were expected to once again
be one of the top teams in the NHL competing for the Stanley Cup. One reason
for the high expectations was the acquisition of Ryan Kesler a top notch two
way forward who had previously won the Selke Trophy and was one of the league's
toughest players. Despite starting the season with a 6-4 loss to the Pittsburgh
Penguins, the Ducks had a successful Eastern road trip winning three of four
games. Returning home the Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in their home opener,
as they won their first four games at the Honda Center. Despite some struggles
in November the Ducks were in fact one of the NHL's best teams in the first
part of the season as they had two separate seven game winning streaks and
entered the New Year with a solid record of 24-9-6. On January 11th the Ducks honored
Teemu Selanne by retiring his number 8 on January 11th, the game was one
of the most thrilling of the season as Anaheim rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets
5-4 in a shoot-out. The win would be the start of a six game winning streak,
the Ducks would go on to win the Pacific Division and had the best record in the
Western Conference at 51-24-7. Ryan Getzlaf led the Ducks in scoring, with 70
points while Corey Perry led the team with 33 goals. 2015 Playoffs: In the first round the Ducks would take on the Winnipeg Jets. Getting off to a slow
start in the opener at home. The Ducks got two goals by Corey Perry and a goal
by Ryan Getzlaf in the third period to win 4-2. In Game 2 the Ducks again trailed
in the third period 1-0 despite peppering Jets Goalie Ondrej Pavelec with
shots. Finally midway through the third period the Ducks got on the board with
a power play goal by Patrick Maroon. With overtime looming the Ducks would get
the game winner with 21 seconds left as Jakob Silfverberg found the back of the
net. As the series shifted to Winnipeg the Ducks continued to find third period
magic as Ryan Kesler tied the game 4-4 on a goal with 2:14 left in regulation.
The Ducks would win the game in overtime 5-4 with Rickard Rakell netting the
game winner. The Ducks would go on to complete the sweep with a 5-2 win in Game
4, as Ryan Kesler scored twice in the final period to put the game away. The
Ducks moved on to face the Calgary Flames in the second round winning the opener
at Honda Center easily 6-1 as Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf each had four points.
Game 2 would also be all Anaheim, as Frederik Andersen earned his first career
playoff shutout stopping all 30 shots as the Ducks won the game 3-0. The Ducks
appeared to be heading for another win in Game 3 as the series shifted to Calgary.
However, Sami Vatanen was called for delay of game shooting the puck over
the glass with just over a minute left. The Flames would get the equalizer on
a goal by Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames would go on to win the game 4-3 with Mikael
Backlund netting the game winner. The Ducks would bounce back with a 4-2 win
in Game 4 to a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Ducks would go on to win the
series in five games, winning the finale in overtime 3-2 on a goal by Corey Perry.
In the Western Conference Finals the Ducks would take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Ducks would dominate the opener at Honda Center, winning 4-1. Game 2
would not be easy as the game went deep into overtime. The Ducks controlled most
of the ice time, and landed 62 shots. However, Corey Crawford kept the Blackhawks
in the game long enough to win the game in triple overtime 3-2 on a goal by
Marcus Kruger. The Ducks would bounce back with a 2-1 win in Game 3 as the series
shifted to Chicago. Game 4 would be an offensive thriller as the Ducks scored
three goals in 37 seconds to take a brief 4-3 lead in the middle of the third
period. The Blackhawks would answer back with a power play goal by Patrick Kane
as overtime was needed again. The game would eventually go to double overtime
with the Blackhawks winning the game 5-4 on a goal by Antoine Vermette. In Game
5 in Anaheim, it would be the Blackhawks with a sudden rally to change the
game as Jonathon Toews scored twice in the final two minutes to force overtime.
This however, the game would end quickly and in the Ducks favor as Matt Beleskey
needed just 45 seconds in the fourth period to give Anaheim a 5-4 win. Leading
3-2 the Ducks looked to close out the series in Chicago. However, Frederik Anderson
struggled as the Blackhawks won the game easily 5-2. In Game 7 at Honda
Center the Ducks season came to an end as Toews scored two first period goals
leading the Blackhawks to a 5-3 win. It marked the third straight year that the
Ducks held a 3-2 series lead and lost the series in seven games with the decisive
game at home.
2015/16: Coming off a heartbreaking loss in the Western Conference Finals, the Anaheim Ducks
entered the season with high expectations that had them as a favorite to win
the Stanley Cup. When the season started Anaheim's great expectations turned into
high anxiety as they won just one of their first ten games in October. The
Ducks would play better in November, starting the month with four straight wins,
but they were still languishing near the bottom of the Pacific Division, as rumors
began to swirl around Coach Bruce Boudreau's job. The Ducks would finally
get back to NHL .500 at 15-15-6 as they won their last three games in December.
As the New Year began the Ducks alternated wins and losses, as they slow got
back into playoff position. In the middle of January the Ducks would part ways
with Carl Hagelin who was picked up in the off-season and struggled badly in the
season's first half. The Ducks would get David Perron and Adam Clendening from
the Pittsburgh Penguins in return. Hagelin would find his game in Pittsburgh
as the Penguins were the best team in the NHL in the second half. The Ducks would
finally breakout in February as they began the month in the middle of a six
game winning streak and ended the month with an 11-game winning streak that carried
into March to climb back into first place in the Pacific Division as they
were the best team in the Western Conference in the season's second half. The Ducks
would eventually finish in first place with a record of 46-25-11. Ryan Getzlaf
was the Ducks leading scorer, despite just scoring 13 goals as he had a team
best 50 assists to post 63 points, one more than Corey Perry who was the Ducks
leading goal scorer, lighting the lamp 34 times. In goal the duties were split
evenly between Frederik Andersen and John Gibson, who each had strong seasons.
2016 Playoffs: The Anaheim Ducks would face the Nashville Predators in the first round of the playoffs
as they looked to get over the hump and reach the Stanley Cup Finals. However,
like the regular season the playoffs started poorly for Anaheim as they
suffered a 3-2 loss at home in the opener, as James Neal set the tone early for
Nashville, scoring 35 seconds into the game. The Ducks would have more home ice
frustration in Game 2, suffering a second straight 3-2 loss to put themselves
in a 2-0 hole. After John Gibson started the first two games in Anaheim, Frederik
Andersen got the call in Game 3 in Nashville and was flawless, stopping all
27 shots, as the Ducks won the game 3-0. Andersen was strong again in Game 4,
making 30 stops as the Ducks won 4-1 to even the series. Back at the Honda Center,
after a scoreless first period the Ducks found themselves down 1-0 on a goal
by Ryan Johansen with just over five minutes left in the second period. However,
they were not down long, as David Perron answered just 22 seconds later. The
Ducks would later get the lead on a goal by Ryan Garbutt as they went on to win
5-2 with five different goal scorers. With a chance to close the series on the
road, the Ducks would suffer a 3-1 loss in Nashville. The Predators would strike
early in Game 7, scoring two first period goals. The Ducks would not get on
the board until the third period as Ryan Kessler scored on the power play at
1:45. That would be as close as Anaheim got, as the Predators held on to win 2-1
and advance to the second round. It marked the fourth straight season, in which
the Ducks lost a seventh game on home ice in the playoffs. That continued playoff
disappointment would eventually spell doom for Coach Bruce Boudreau as he
was fired two days after the Ducks were eliminated. Boudreau's replacement would
be the man he replaced by the Ducks bench as Randy Carlyle who took Anaheim
to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2007 was hired for a second tenure.